Best bank - Public Bank
Best equity house - RHB Sakura
Best debt house - CIMB
Best M&A house - CIMB
While capital controls remain in place there is little that Malaysians can do with their cash. So it remains in deposits. Corporate loans have continued to contract but consumer finance is growing strongly, especially auto loans. Of the new credit extended 70% went on car purchase. Such a trend has served Public Bank well once again. It's the bank that sets the benchmark for service in the consumer-heavy market. Public Bank capitalized on the consumer-finance boom and experienced a 24% growth in mortgage lending, compared with a sector average of 18%. Vehicle hire purchase jumped 66%, with the bank grabbing a 22% market share.
Loans to small and medium-size enterprises also increased and Public Bank dominates this area with a 43% market share. The bank deserves credit for expanding so successfully within the competitive and still overbanked market. Most important, asset quality has not been compromised in a quest for growth. Non-performing loans stayed well below the country's average of 7.5% to stand at 2.4%.
In the past year several high-profile equity deals hit the Malaysian market.